Govt Strengthening Solar Recycling Framework To Support Circular Economy, Says Mos

(MENAFN- KNN India) New Delhi, Mar 18 (KNN) The government has initiated a series of measures to strengthen domestic recycling capacity and promote circular economy practices in the solar sector, Union Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Shripad Yesso Naik said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.

With support from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), the Council on Energy, Environment and Water has estimated that cumulative waste from existing and projected solar installations could reach around 600 kilo-tonnes by 2030, underscoring the need for robust recycling mechanisms.

Notably, the Ministry of Mines has introduced a Rs 1,500 crore recycling incentive scheme under the National Critical Mineral Mission to support recovery of critical minerals from e-waste, lithium-ion batteries and end-of-life vehicle components, reinforcing circular economy practices within clean energy supply chains.

The regulatory framework is anchored in the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022, notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, which cover environmentally sound management of solar photovoltaic waste.

An Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) portal has also been operationalised by the Central Pollution Control Board to streamline implementation and compliance.

To advance circularity, committees have been constituted across 11 focus sectors, including solar panels. MNRE has also launched an innovation challenge aimed at promoting recycling technologies, second-life applications and sustainable design under its Renewable Energy Research and Technology Development programme.

Additionally, the Department of Science and Technology has invited proposals to develop economically viable recycling solutions for end-of-life solar photovoltaic modules through industry–academia collaboration.

The measures are intended to build a sustainable framework for managing solar waste while improving resource efficiency and supporting long-term growth of the renewable energy sector.

(KNN Bureau)

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